Umbrella



Patented May 1, i923.

, it: sits ranges r rer UMBRELLA.

Application filed October 18, 1921. Serial No. 508,503.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Morris H. HART ZELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to umbrellas provided with runners and tip cups; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, whereby the runner is unlocked after the tip cup has been retracted by the continuous movement of a finger sleeve in one direction.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of one form of the device constructed according to this invention, showing it in the locked position and applied to a self-opening umbrella. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shows the runner released and partially moved up the rod. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section or" a modification of the device shown in Fig. l, and shows it applied to an umbrella which is not self-opening. All the views are of enlarged size, for clearness.

The rod 5 is a tubular rod as ordinarily used, and it has a longitudinal slot 6 in one side. The catch 7 is a spring catch, but it may be a spring-actuated catch, and it is inserted and pivoted inside the rod 5 so that its retractable lower end portion may work in the slot 6. The lower end portion of the catch is provided with two ratchet-shaped teeth 8 and 9, and a rounded projection 10 arranged between the two teeth, and forming with them two notches 12 and 14. The projection 10 is shorter than the teeth 8 and 9.

The runner 15 is slidable on the rod 5, and it has a flange or detent 16 at its lower end which slides up the upper tooth 8 and engages with the upper notch 12 when the runner is slid down the rod towards the handle in the act of closing the umbrella.

lVhen the umbrella is self-opening, the upper and middle portions of the runner are made large enough to contain the usual opening spring and inner sleeve, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The umbrella stretchers 17 are pivoted to the upper end portion of the runner in the usual manner.

The tip cup 18 which engages with the umbrella ribs 19, is secured upon a finger sleeve 20. In the form of the device shown in Figsfl and 2, the finger sleeve is rela-' tively short-,and it is provided with afiange or detent 21 which is slidable back and forth over the projection 10 of the pivoted catch, and which engages with its two notches alternately. e

The finger sleeve 20 is slidable on the umbrella rod-5, and its lower end is preferably mounted on a collar 22 secured to the rod and provided with a stop flange 24..

which limits the downward movement of the finger sleeve. The umbrella handle 25 is secured to the lower end portion of the rod, andabuts against the flange 24:. When the finger sleeve is partially'pulled down the rod from the position shown in Fig. 1,

it retracts the catch by contact with the projection 10, and thereby unlocks itself and the tip cup and moves the tip cup out of engagement with the umbrella ribs. This action however does not free the runner from the catch, because the tooth 8 is longer than the projection 10, but when the finger sleeve is pulled down the rod to its full extent its detent bears against the lower tooth 9, and retracts, the catch sulficiently to release the detent of the runner from the upper tooth 8 of the catch, and thereby permits the runner to slide up the-rod, as shown in Fig. 2. The ribs and the runner are released one after the other by one continued movement of the finger sleeve in the same direction, and that is found to be very advantageous in operating the umbrella. The inclined tooth 9 of the spring catch 7 slides the finger sleeve 20 and tip cup 18 upwardly to a prearranged extent when the finger sleeve is released by the fingers. The projection 10 holds the tip cup partially retracted until the rib tips have been pressed together by hand, and the other hand then pushes the tip cup upwardly to engage with the rib tips, and move the detent over the projection 10. The projection prevents the complete and premature return of the tip cup to its original position, until the runner has ice-engaged the tooth umbrella has been closed.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 3, in which the runner is pushed up the rod 8 and the i by hand, the same retractable catch 7 is tion of the finger sleeve, instead of at its upper end, and is arranged at a greater distance from the retractable catch and runner than in the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

What I claim is:

1. An umbrella rod provided with a slot, a retractable catch having a plurality of teeth which project from the said slot, a runner slidable on the rod and engaging with the said catch, a finger sleeve slidable on the said rod and engaging with the said catch and provided with a tip cup, said sleeve operating when moved down the rod to first release the umbrella ribs from the tip cup and then to release the runner from the catch, and means for holding the tip cup in a partially retracted position until after the umbrella has been closed.

' 2. An umbrella rod provided with a slot, a retractable catch having two ratchetrhaped teeth and an intervening projection of less height than the teeth and forming with them two notches, a runner sli'dable on the rod and engaging with the upper tooth and notch, and a finger sleeve slidable on the said rod and engaging with the said projection and the lower tooth and provided with a tip cup.

A tubular umbrella rod provided with a slot, a spring catch inclosed in and pivoted to the said rod and having a plurality of teeth which project from the said slot, a runner slidable on the rod and engaging with the said catch, and a finger sleeve slid able on the said rod and engaging with the said catch and provided with a tip cup, said sleeve operating when moved down the rod to first release the umbrella ribs from the tip cup and then to release the runner from the catch, said spring catch operating also to move the runner and tip cup upwardly on the rod to a predetermined extent when the finger sleeve is released by the fingers. 4:. An umbrella rod provided with a slot a retractable catch having a plurality ct teeth which project "from the said slot, a

MORRIS n. HARTZELL. 

